E. B. Hunt on the Florida Reef. 197 
Art. XXIL—On the Origin, Growth, Substructure and Chronol- 
ogy of the Florida Reef; by Capt. E. B. Hunz, Corps of En- 
gineers, U.S.A. (In a letter to Prof. A. D. Bacus, Sup’t. 
U.S. Coast Survey. 
New Haven, Conn., Nov. 18, 1862, 
Sir: The examination of the Florida reef, keys and mainland 
by Prof. Agassiz, in 1850-51 (Coast Survey Rept., 1851, Appen- 
dix No, 10), marks an era in our knowledge of the singular 
geological problems there exhibited, and especially of their 
Zoological phases. This exploration, made under Coast Survey 
auspices, was amply justified by the fact that the Florida reef is 
the great American danger to navigation. One of the best aids 
in avoiding reef risks is a clear insight into the structure of the 
vanced. The millions of property wrecked on the reef are in 
great part sacrificed to a needless ignorance of hydrography, reef 
beacons. Reef 
the wrecks, occurring at the average rate of about one a week, 
4m Row of the opinion that the loss of property in wrecks, — 
Which would be preventable by such accurate knowledge as can 
furnished to navigators when the Coast Survey shall have 
published the complete reef hydrography and its full scientific 
ich had been for many months conspicuously advertised in all 
1¢ Custom Houses and in commercial papers. Would ee 
Merchants insist on having none but intelligent captains, an 
then furnish them with the very best information concerning the 
a, knowledge, occurred by masters not knowing new lights, 
th 
*ariations, in and near the Florida channel, is now particularly 
heeded for preventing wrecks in this region. The fl 
of currents from their supposed normal type certainly cause 
eas 
AM. Jour. Sor.—geconn Sprites, Vor. XXXV, No. 104—Manrcu, 1863. 
26 
